Does Paris Hilton Deserve Jail Time?

Paris Hilton belongs behind bars, accordint to this analysis by Susan Filan:

No questions about it, Hilton should be behind bars

By Susan Filan
Senior legal analyst

It's about time Paris Hilton learned that rules apply to her too.

Until now, the hotel heiress has lived her life as if the law was a buffet menu from which she could pick and choose which to rules to follow and which to disobey.

On Friday, after she had the audacity to arrive 18 minutes late to her sentencing hearing, a Los Angeles judge ended her a la carte lifestyle and sentenced Hilton to 45 days in prison for violating the terms of her probation. And she won't be allowed to serve her prison sentence at a "camp" for celebrities either. The judge ordered Hilton to surrender on June 5 to Los Angeles County's jailhouse for women, a 2,200 inmate facility. This is one accommodation in which Hilton will not be permitted to order room service, use a cell phone or a Blackberry, or do whatever she wants whenever she wants. She will be allowed outside her cell for one hour a day to shower, watch television in the dayroom with other inmates, or go outside for recreation.

And this is the absolute right result. Justice has been served. Hilton brought this on herself by the choices she has made and by her own behavior. And now she has to pay the price. It’s only fair. Were the judge to have ruled differently, it would have sent a message to our celebrity-worshipping culture that only "regular" folks have to obey the rules.

Just what is Paris’ crime and why should she go to jail?

In January 2007, Hilton was convicted of reckless driving. Her blood alcohol content was .08, which is illegal. Her punishment then was a “get out of jail free” card. She was placed on probation for 36 months, fined $1,500 and ordered to enroll in alcohol education classes. And her driver’s license was suspended.

On January 15, 2007, Paris was caught driving with a suspended license. If your license is suspended, you can’t drive. It’s that simple. On February 27, 2007, Paris was caught driving again at 11:00 at night, license still suspended. She was speeding and she didn’t have her headlights on.

Paris said she did not know her license was suspended, but she had to sign a piece of paper acknowledging the license suspension. Guess what? That piece of paper was in her glove compartment with her signature on it.

Oh, and those alcohol education classes she was supposed to enroll in by February 12th? As of April 17 , she still hadn’t enrolled.